Rapid high-throughput screening of multiple typical mycotoxins in cereals

The co-contamination of multiple mycotoxins in cereals brings serious food safety hazards. This work proposes a magnetic solid-phase extraction method based on polydopamine coated magnetic particles (Fe₃O₄@PDA), coupled with direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), for high-throughput screening of 17 mycotoxins in six categories in rice, corn and wheat. The results suggest that Fe₃O₄@PDA is capable of co-extraction of all the mycotoxins within 3 min (adsorption rate above 87.3 %) and also exhibits commendable matrix purification ability, with matrix effects below −14.90 %, and recyclability, as it can be reused up to 5 times. DART-MS detection of all targets in a single sample can be completed within 20 s. The detection limits for mycotoxins ranged from 1.0 to 50.0 μg/kg, the recoveries were between 81.4 % and 117.5 %, and the relative standard deviations were less than 17.4 %, suggesting that the developed method had considerable sensitivity, accuracy, and precision.